Tales of Arise – Beyond The Dawn Expansion: A Missed Opportunity

So, here’s the thing – we were really excited when we heard about the Beyond The Dawn DLC, it promised to add a whole new layer to the already amazing ‘Tales of Arise’ game.

But, let’s just say, it didn’t quite live up to our expectations. In this article, we’re diving deep into the expansion, exploring its sidequests, narrative execution, and gameplay mechanics.

Join us as we evaluate whether this expansion truly missed the mark or had a hidden gem or two.

Key Takeaways

• Beyond The Dawn Expansion was released as an epilogue expansion two years after the original game, sparking curiosity and surprise among players.
• The expansion introduces a new character named Nazamil and explores the new coexistence between Dahnans and Renans in the aftermath of Tales of Arise.
• The majority of the new content in Beyond The Dawn consists of over 40 sidequests, which serve as a framework for exploring the merged world’s challenges and addressing societal concerns and character motivations.
• However, the expansion falls short in its narrative execution, with sidequests lacking overall presentation and impact, and the exploration of complex societal concerns feeling superficial. Additionally, the combat and gameplay mechanics remain unchanged from the original game, resulting in a lack of novelty. Overall, the expansion is criticized for its stale questing, trite plotting, and thin content.

Background of Beyond The Dawn Expansion

Despite being released as an epilogue expansion two years after the original game, Beyond The Dawn Expansion lacks the depth and originality expected from a continuation of Tales of Arise.

Fans were initially curious and surprised by the expansion’s release, hoping for a new and immersive experience. However, the expansion mainly focuses on sidequests, with over 40 available. While these sidequests serve as a framework for exploring the challenges of the merged world and addressing societal concerns, they lack overall presentation and impact.

The narrative execution falls short, touching on complex societal concerns in a superficial manner and feeling more like a checklist than an in-depth exploration. Furthermore, the combat and gameplay mechanics remain unchanged from the original game, offering little novelty.

Release and Setting of the Expansion

After being released as an epilogue expansion two years after the original game, Beyond The Dawn Expansion disappoints in both its release and setting. The release of the expansion came as a surprise, sparking curiosity among fans who were eager for more content from Tales of Arise.

However, the setting of Beyond The Dawn fails to deliver anything truly new or exciting. Here are three key points to consider:

1. Lack of novelty: The expansion takes place in areas from the original game, offering little in terms of fresh environments or settings. This leaves players feeling like they’re simply revisiting familiar territory rather than embarking on a new adventure.
2. Shallow exploration: While the expansion introduces a new character named Nazamil and explores the coexistence between Dahnans and Renans, it only scratches the surface of these complex societal concerns. The sidequests, which make up the majority of the new content, feel like a checklist rather than an in-depth exploration of these themes.
3. Unchanged gameplay mechanics: Combat remains the same as the original game, which may disappoint players who were hoping for new mechanics or unique features in the expansion. Additionally, all other gameplay mechanics, such as leveling up and character progression, follow the same system, resulting in a lack of freshness and innovation.

Focus on Sidequests in Beyond The Dawn

We were hoping for a more engaging experience in Beyond The Dawn Expansion, but the focus on sidequests leaves much to be desired. While the expansion introduces over 40 new quests, they follow a similar structure to sidequests in the original game.

These quests serve as a framework for exploring the challenges of the merged world and addressing societal concerns and character motivations. However, the execution falls short. The sidequests touch on complex societal issues in a superficial manner, making it feel like we’re simply checking off a list rather than delving into a deep exploration.

The rote structure, canned animations, and unvoiced lines further detract from the impact of the sidequests. Additionally, the lack of novelty in the areas from the original game diminishes the overall experience.

Narrative Execution and Presentation

Continuing our exploration of Beyond The Dawn Expansion, we find that the narrative execution and presentation of the expansion falls short of expectations. Here are three key reasons why:

1. Superficial Treatment: The expansion touches on complex societal concerns but only in a shallow manner. It feels more like a checklist of issues rather than a deep exploration, leaving much to be desired in terms of narrative depth.
2. Lack of Impact: The sidequests, which make up the majority of the new content, suffer from a lack of overall presentation and impact. The rote structure, canned animations, and unvoiced lines contribute to a feeling of mediocrity, failing to engage players fully.
3. Lack of Novelty: Despite taking place in areas from the original game, the expansion offers little in terms of novelty. This absence of fresh environments and experiences further dampens the overall narrative experience.

Combat and Gameplay Mechanics

Moving on to the aspect of combat and gameplay mechanics, we find that Beyond The Dawn Expansion fails to introduce any new mechanics or unique features, leaving players hoping for more innovation and excitement.

The combat system remains unchanged from the original game, which was considered a strong suit of Tales of Arise. While the combat itself is still enjoyable, the lack of new additions or enhancements feels like a missed opportunity.

Additionally, all other gameplay mechanics from the original game return, including leveling up and character progression. While these mechanics were well-received in the base game, their repetition in the expansion adds to the overall sense of stagnation.

Players were anticipating fresh and engaging gameplay experiences, but unfortunately, Beyond The Dawn fails to deliver in this aspect.

Lack of Innovation in Overall Content

Now let’s delve into the lack of innovation in the overall content of Beyond The Dawn Expansion.

1. Repetitive Sidequests: The majority of the new content in Beyond The Dawn revolves around sidequests, which unfortunately follow a similar structure to the original game. With over 40 quests available, it becomes apparent that these sidequests serve as a framework for exploring the merged world’s challenges. However, they lack overall presentation and impact, feeling more like a checklist than an in-depth exploration of the game’s complex societal concerns.
2. Unchanged Combat and Gameplay Mechanics: Tales of Arise’s combat was considered a strong suit, but the lack of any new mechanics or unique features in the expansion is disappointing. All other gameplay mechanics from the original game return, including leveling up and character progression, ultimately offering little novelty to the overall experience.
3. Lack of Narrative Originality: While the main storyline focuses on the new character Nazamil, there’s a distinct disappointment in the narrative’s lack of originality. The concluding moments of the expansion are more compelling than the main plot itself, leaving players with a sense of stale questing, trite plotting, and thin content overall.

Main Storyline and Its Shortcomings

To further explore the shortcomings of the main storyline in Beyond The Dawn Expansion, we must address its lack of narrative depth and originality.

While the expansion takes place in the aftermath of Tales of Arise and introduces a new character named Nazamil, the execution of the narrative leaves much to be desired. The storyline touches on complex societal concerns but only in a superficial manner, giving the impression of going through a checklist rather than providing an in-depth exploration.

Additionally, the sidequests, which serve as a framework for exploring the merged world’s challenges, lack overall presentation and impact. The rote structure, canned animations, and unvoiced lines further contribute to the lack of engagement.

Furthermore, the expansion takes place in areas from the original game, offering little novelty.

Final Thoughts on Beyond The Dawn Expansion

With its lackluster narrative execution and uninspired gameplay mechanics, Beyond The Dawn Expansion ultimately falls short of its potential as a compelling addition to the Tales of Arise universe.

The expansion’s final verdict can be summed up in three key points:

1. Dissatisfying Sidequests: The majority of the new content in Beyond The Dawn revolves around sidequests, offering over 40 quests to complete. However, these quests lack overall presentation and impact, feeling more like a checklist rather than an in-depth exploration of the merged world’s challenges. The rote structure, canned animations, and unvoiced lines further dampen the experience.
2. No Innovative Gameplay: While Tales of Arise’s combat was considered a strong suit, Beyond The Dawn fails to introduce any new mechanics or unique features. Players hoped for fresh gameplay elements to enhance the expansion’s appeal, but instead, they’re met with the same combat system and gameplay mechanics from the original game.
3. Thin Content Overall: Completion of Beyond The Dawn takes around 13 hours, with the main storyline focusing on the new character, Nazamil. Unfortunately, the narrative lacks originality, and the concluding moments prove to be more compelling than the main plot. Stale questing, trite plotting, and a general lack of depth contribute to the overall disappointment of the expansion.

In the end, Beyond The Dawn Expansion fails to deliver on its potential, leaving players longing for a more engaging and innovative addition to the Tales of Arise universe.